Growing Pakistani Presence in China

Mid-1960s America saw a phenomenon called the "British Invasion". Anecdotal evidence suggests similar phenomenon, albeit on a smaller scale, is occurring in China with about 100,000 Pakistanis arriving there in recent years. While the growing presence of the Chinese in Pakistan gets a lot of press, there has been relatively little coverage of the movement of people in the other direction---from Pakistan to China. Jalil Shaikh, a Pakistani-American tech executive in Silicon Valley, has observed this phenomenon during his frequent visits to Jiangsu province in China. Jalil is often welcomed as "iron brother" by the people he meets during his stays in China.

Pakistanis in Changzhou, China
Pakistanis in Changzhou:

Jalil saw anecdotal of evidence of "Pakistani invasion" of China in the city of Changzhou in Jiangsu province. Changzhou has a population of about 5 million people which makes it a medium size city by Chinese standards. Changzhou is an educational hub and is home to several universities, including Changzhou University, Hohai University (Changzhou campus), Jiangsu Teachers' University of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Teachers' University of Technology, and Changzhou Institute of Technology. It attracts a large number of foreign students mainly from countries participating in China's BRI (Belt and Road Initiative). China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project of BRI.  There are an estimated 22,000 Pakistani students studying in China. A significant fraction of these students receive Chinese government scholarships to study in the country.



Pakistani Restaurant in Changzhou, China


Pakistanis in Beijing:

Jalil has also travelled to the Chinese capital Beijing for business. During one such trips, he stayed at Oak Chateau hotel where he met dozens of Pakistanis working as engineers. They work as IT engineers at German automakers BMW and Mercedes whose Beijing offices are located just across the street from this hotel.

Food and Music at Changzhou Restaurant: 

On a visit to Changzhou last year, Jalil ate at MandS Restaurant,  a Pakistani restaurant in the city of Changzou. He met its Pakistani owner and several young Pakistanis attending universities there. He learned that here are scores of Pakistanis in Changzou and most of them are reachable on a WeChat  group. WeChat is a ubiquitous smartphone application similar to WhatsApp that serves as both mobile messaging and payment platform. Owned by Chinese social media giant TenCents, WeChat competes with China's e-commerce behemoth Alibaba's Alipay in mobile payments space which has rapidly grown in China.  Jalil joined the Pakistani WeChat group in Changzhou and invited its members to dinner and Karaoke singing at MandS Restaurant. About 40 Pakistanis, mostly students, showed up. Many of the Changzhou Pakistanis, including girls, are from families living in small towns and villages in Pakistan. Many get fully funded scholarships with full tuition, room and board as well as a monthly stipend of 1,700 RMB for Master's degree students and 2,000 RMB for PhD candidates. China gets the benefit of the research work and publications produced by them.

Spinal Injury:

A Pakistani girl who had recently arrived had a serious mishap soon after arrival from her village near Multan. She slipped and fell. The fall caused serious spinal injuries requiring hospitalization and surgery. This occurred before her medical coverage started. The hospital demanded payment of RMB 35,000 which is equivalent to US$5,000. Pakistanis helped raise $4,000 and Jalil made up the difference to cover the unfortunate girl's medical expenses.

Muslims in Changzhou:

A large number of Muslims call Changzhou home. There are 5 mosques in the city.  Jalil has had the opportunity to attend Friday prayers at packed mosques in the city.  MandS Restaurant owner offered free meals to over 200 Muslims as part of Eid Milad un Nabi (Prophet Mohammad SAW's birthday)celebration last year.

China-Pakistan Ties:

Pakistan-China ties are rapidly growing well beyond the economy and the military with tens of thousands of Chinese and Pakistani citizens regularly traveling between the two countries.

More Pakistanis than ever are learning the Chinese language. China with its world class educational institutions is emerging as one of the top destinations for Pakistanis studying abroad. China-Pakistan relationship is becoming a truly multi-dimensional strategic relationship.   This new phenomenon is the subject of a Pakistani spice company television commercial featuring a young Chinese woman in Lahore making the popular biryani dish using Shan masala.

China's Strides in Science and Technology:

Why is China becoming a fast growing destination for foreign students, including Pakistanis studying abroad? A story in India's "The Wire" online magazine has explained it in terms of the rapid rate of China's progress in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields as follows:

America's National Science Foundation and National Science Board have recently released their biennial science and engineering indicators which provide detailed figures on research and development (R&D), innovation and engineers. But its true message is in a different direction, “China has become,” concludes Robert J. Samuelson in a column, “or is in the verge of becoming – a scientific and technical superpower. This is not entirely unexpected given the size of the Chinese economy and its massive investments in R&D, even so, he says, “the actual numbers are breathtaking”.

1. China is the 2nd largest spender in R&D after the US, accounting for 21% of the world total which is $2 trillion. It has been going up 18% a year, as compared to 4% in the US. An OECD report says that China could overtake the US in R&D spending by 2020.

2. China has overtaken the US in terms of total number of science publications. Technical papers have increased dramatically, even if their impact, as judged by citation indices, may not be that high.

3. The US continues to produce more PhDs and attract more foreign students. But new international enrollment at US colleges was down for the first time in the decade in 2017. The Trump administration’s anti-immigration rhetoric and actions are scaring away students.

4. China has begun shifting from being an assembler of high-tech components, to a maker of super computers and aircraft and given the pattern of its investments in RandD and technology development, it is focusing on becoming the world leader in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum communications, quantum computing, biotechnology and electric vehicles.

Summary:

While the growing presence of the Chinese in Pakistan gets a lot of press, there has been relatively little coverage of the movement of people in the other direction---from Pakistan to China. Pakistan-China ties are rapidly growing well beyond the economy and the military with tens of thousands of Chinese and Pakistani citizens regularly traveling between the two countries. Jalil Shaikh, a Pakistani-American tech executive in Silicon Valley, has observed this phenomenon during his frequent visits to Jiangsu province in China. Jalil is often welcomed as "iron brother" by the people he meets during his stays in China.  More Pakistanis than ever are learning the Chinese language.  China with its world class educational institutions is emerging as one of the top destinations for Pakistanis studying abroad. It is becoming a truly multi-dimensional relationship which will help Pakistan rise with China on the world stage.

Here's a video clip of Karaoke Dinner in Changzhou, China:

https://youtu.be/2YSnDGtVjsk




Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Rapid Growth of China-Pakistan Educational, Scientific and Cultural Ties 

China-Pakistan Strategic Ties

US and China Compete For Influence in Pakistan

China-Pakistan Defense Tech Cooperation Irks West

Pakistan-Russia-China vs India-Japan-US

Pakistan Rising or Falling? Myth Vs Reality

Facts and Myths About China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

China Emerges as Top Destination for Pakistanis Studying Abroad

Sec Hagel: India Using Afghanistan to Launch Attacks in Pakistan

Ex Indian Spy Documents RAW's Successes Against Pakistan

Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel


Comments

Riaz Haq said…
How #China could dominate #science and #technology . In 2013-18, more #research publications came from China than from any other country in 23 of the 30 busiest fields. China accounted for 11% of the most influential papers in 2014-16. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/01/12/how-china-could-dominate-science via @TheEconomist

There is no doubting Mr Xi’s determination. Modern science depends on money, institutions and oodles of brainpower. Partly because its government can marshal all three, China is hurtling up the rankings of scientific achievement, as our investigations show (see article). It has spent many billions of dollars on machines to detect dark matter and neutrinos, and on institutes galore that delve into everything from genomics and quantum communications to renewable energy and advanced materials. An analysis of 17.2m papers in 2013-18, by Nikkei, a Japanese publisher, and Elsevier, a scientific publisher, found that more came from China than from any other country in 23 of the 30 busiest fields, such as sodium-ion batteries and neuron-activation analysis. The quality of American research has remained higher, but China has been catching up, accounting for 11% of the most influential papers in 2014-16.

Such is the pressure on Chinese scientists to make breakthroughs that some put ends before means. Last year He Jiankui, an academic from Shenzhen, edited the genomes of embryos without proper regard for their post-partum welfare—or that of any children they might go on to have. Chinese artificial-intelligence (ai) researchers are thought to train their algorithms on data harvested from Chinese citizens with little oversight. In 2007 China tested a space-weapon on one of its weather satellites, littering orbits with lethal space debris. Intellectual-property theft is rampant.

The looming prospect of a dominant, rule-breaking, high-tech China alarms Western politicians, and not just because of the new weaponry it will develop. Authoritarian governments have a history of using science to oppress their own people. China already deploys ai techniques like facial recognition to monitor its population in real time. The outside world might find a China dabbling in genetic enhancement, autonomous ais or

geoengineering extremely frightening.

These fears are justified. A scientific superpower wrapped up in a one-party dictatorship is indeed intimidating. But the effects of China’s growing scientific clout do not all point one way.

For a start, Chinese science is about much more than weapons and oppression. From better batteries and new treatments for disease to fundamental discoveries about, say, dark matter, the world has much to gain from China’s efforts.

Moreover, it is unclear whether Mr Xi is right. If Chinese research really is to lead the field, then science may end up changing China in ways he is not expecting.

Mr Xi talks of science and technology as a national project. However, in most scientific research, chauvinism is a handicap. Expertise, good ideas and creativity do not respect national frontiers. Research takes place in teams, which may involve dozens of scientists. Published papers get you only so far: conferences and face-to-face encounters are essential to grasp the subtleties of what everyone else is up to. There is competition, to be sure; military and commercial research must remain secret. But pure science thrives on collaboration and exchange.

This gives Chinese scientists an incentive to observe international rules—because that is what will win its researchers access to the best conferences, laboratories and journals, and because unethical science diminishes China’s soft power. Mr He’s gene-editing may well be remembered not just for his ethical breach, but also for the furious condemnation he received from his Chinese colleagues and the threat of punishment from the authorities. The satellite destruction in 2007 caused outrage in China. It has not been repeated.
Riaz Haq said…
Pak Army shall ensure security of CPEC at all costs, Gen Bajwa tells President Xi Jinping

https://www.dawn.com/news/1433887

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Bajwa, on special invitation, called on the President of China Xi Jinping in China on Wednesday to discuss the region's security and the challenges it is faced with, the military's media wing said.

The Chinese president acknowledged that Pakistan has been a "time-tested iron friend" to China and the Pakistan Army has had a role in this lasting relationship, according to a statement released on Twitter by Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor.

The Chinese president promised that his country would continue to work with Pakistan and support it as a strategic partner.

He said that those who oppose the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) or China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) "shall never succeed as this is an initiative of peace and development not only for China but for [the] region and beyond".

Gen Bajwa said that Pakistan "understands the importance of peace and has [made a] lot of sacrifices for achieving it".

"BRI with CPEC as its flagship is destined to succeed despite all odds and the Pakistan Army shall ensure security of CPEC at all costs," the Gen Bajwa assured the Chinese president.

The army chief added that "we need to stay strong to thwart designs of all inimical forces challenging our resolve and we greatly value [the] Chinese support in this regard".
Riaz Haq said…
Hike shows why super apps don’t work in India the way they do in China


https://qz.com/india/1522956/why-kavin-mittals-hike-could-not-be-chinas-wechat-for-india/


In China, WeChat—a mash-up of WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Paypal, Twitter, Uber, Kindle, and more—has become an indispensable part of everyday life for people. The super app provides a long list of services from booking cabs to ordering food delivery to playing games to transferring money, keeping users locked in its ecosystem.

But the creator of India’s popular instant messaging app, Hike, believes this is no China.

Until now, Hike has housed messaging, news updates, digital payments, and cab bookings all under one app-roof. But on Jan. 10, it announced plans to unbundle in 2019.

“In our business the user experience is key and the value isn’t just in the number of users but how engaged they are on our platforms,” said founder and CEO Kavin Bharti Mittal. “Unbundling Hike into multiple apps focused on doing one thing allows us more room in the pixels to deliver much more around one problem.”

Social features like messaging, and content where snackable posts are available, are two segments within the current Hike app that drive high engagement. Users spend upwards of 30 minutes daily in each. Going forward, Hike’s 100 million users will be able to choose between continuing to use the current Hike app or migrating to the specific new apps as they branch off.

Experts think the decision is apt. “India is still in the formative stages when it comes to getting users acquainted to being app-dependent,” said Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst and CEO at Greyhound Research. “Super apps are for more evolved users who have already gone through the learning curve. Hence they do way better in Japan and China, where penetration of smartphones and mobile internet is way better.” In fact, WeChat itself tanked in India.

The move comes eight months after Hike, which began as an instant messenger in 2012, admitted to spreading itself too thin. In the first place, the company didn’t have a clear path to monetisation; acquisitions and employees were weighing heavy on its costs. As part of cleaning up its act, Hike shuttered its Bengaluru office and laid off nearly 25% of its 350-strong workforce in May last year.
Riaz Haq said…
After visit of #China's #Uyghur region by diplomats of 12 large #Muslim population nations incl. #India, here's #Pakistan diplomat Mumtaz Zahra Baloch: "During this visit, I did not find any instance of forced labour or cultural and religious repression" https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/no-cultural-religious-repression-of-uyghur-muslims-in-xinjiang-pak-diplomat-119012401158_1.html#.XEornIENTQI.twitter

A senior Pakistani diplomat on Thursday put up a staunch defence of the controversial education camps in China's volatile Xinjiang province where thousands of Uyghur Muslims have been reportedly detained, saying there is no forced labour or cultural and religious repression in the region.

China recently took diplomats from 12 countries with large Muslim populations, including India and Pakistan, to its Xinjiang province where tens of thousands of members of the minority Uyghur Muslims have been interned in education camps.


"During this visit, I did not find any instance of forced labour or cultural and religious repression," Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the Charge d'affaires, Pakistan's Embassy in China, told the state-run Global Times on Thursday.

"The imams we met at the mosques and the students and teachers at the Xinjiang Islamic Institute told us that they enjoy freedom in practicing Islam and that the Chinese government extends support for maintenance of mosques all over Xinjiang," said
Baloch, who visited Xinjiang as part of delegation of diplomats.

"Similarly, I did not see any sign of cultural repression. The Uyghur culture as demonstrated by their language, music and dance is very much part of the life of the people of Xinjiang," she said.

Asked about the security situation in Xinjiang, which has been "beset by terrorism", Baloch said, "we learned that the recent measures have resulted in improvement of the security situation in Xinjiang and there have been no incidents of terrorism in recent months."

"The counter-terrorism measures being taken are multidimensional and do not simply focus on law enforcement aspects. Education, poverty alleviation and development are key to the counter-terrorism strategy of the Chinese government," she said.

Xinjiang's regional government invited diplomatic envoys as well as representatives from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Thailand, and Kuwait following reports about detention of thousands of Uygur and other Muslims in massive education camps.

The UN's Geneva-based Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination last year said that it was alarmed by "numerous reports of ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities" being detained in Xinjiang region and called for their immediate release.

Estimates about them "range from tens of thousands to upwards of a million," it had said.

China defended the camps, saying they are re-education camps aimed at de-radicalising sections of the Uyghur population from extremism and separatism.

China has been carrying out massive crackdown on the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in Xinjiang province, where Uyghurs who formed majority in the region were restive over the increasing settlements of Han community.

Pakistan and several other Muslim countries faced criticism about their silence over China's crackdown on Muslims in Xinjiang.

China has about 20 million Muslims who are mostly Uyghurs, an ethnic group of Turkic origin, and Hui Muslims, who are of the Chinese ethnic origin. While Uyghurs lived in Xinjiang, bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Hui Muslims resided in Ningxia province.
Riaz Haq said…
China Focus: China, Pakistan cooperate to cultivate technical talents

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-05/29/c_138099444.htm

After the conclusion of the First Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) in Beijing in 2017, a delegation of Pakistan's largest province Punjab headed to Tianjin and signed an agreement with the coastal municipality to cooperate on vocational education.

In July 2018, Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College and Punjab's Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority co-founded the Pakistan Luban Workshop in Punjab. The workshop offers courses such as new energy vehicles and electromechanical integration technology.

Ali (Arqam, 19) was among the first batch of students recruited by the workshop. "The learning process is so much fun, just like playing toys," he said, adding he was impressed by the advanced training facilities of the workshop.

Apart from the workshop in Pakistan, eight Luban Workshops have been set up in Asia, Africa and Europe since 2016, training more than 4,000 students and about 600 teachers.

"The workshop doesn't teach local students directly but trains local teachers at first. This is a bridge connecting China's vocational education with the world," said Lyu Jingquan, deputy director of Tianjin Municipal Education Commission.

In addition, the Punjab Tianjin University of Technology (PTUT) featuring vocational education was established in 2018, by three Tianjin universities and a vocational education training organization of Punjab. With nearly 500 students, PTUT offers seven specialties including mechanical engineering, automotive engineering, electrical engineering, electric engineering, fashion design and architecture.

"The students show great interest in our courses and are able to quickly acclimate to the new teaching methods," said Zhao Wei, a teacher from Tianjin University of Technology and Education, who's now teaching at PTUT.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION BOOSTS DEVELOPMENT

Of the nearly 200 million people in Pakistan, people aged between 16 and 30 accounts for about 60 percent of the entire population.

"We have a large number of young people, who need to be trained to master a skill, which could help them secure a job," said Muhammad Asif, the academic dean with PTUT.

Asif believed that professional and technical personnel have played an important role in China's economic development and helped China achieve great prosperity. The government of Punjab hopes to promote vocational education, cultivate highly skilled labor force, and increase youth employment, by learning from China's experience.

"Punjab attempts to improve employment through enhancing vocational education, while we also want to foster more talents for both Pakistani and Chinese enterprises along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)," said Liu Xin, president of Tianjin University of Technology and Education.

Pakistan hopes to learn from China's experience of vocational education development to stimulate the development of the CPEC, according to Syed Javed Hassan, Chairman of Pakistan National Vocational and Technical Training Commission.

After over five years of construction, CPEC has yielded fruitful achievements, creating more than 75,000 jobs for Pakistan.

Aside from vocational education cooperation, China and Pakistan have a wider range of cooperation in education.

Statistics showed around 2,500 students from Pakistan went to study in China in 2017, and the number of Pakistani students in China stands at 22,000 as of May 2019.
Riaz Haq said…
#China approves PayPal's (PYPL) acquisition of a 70% equity interest in #Chinese GoPay. It will not be an easy market to break into. #Chinese #digital #payments services #Alibaba (BABA)'s #AliPay & #Tencent (TCEHY)'s WeChat Pay have dominated that market https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/30/tech/paypal-gopay-china-payments/index.html

As western companies jockey for a way into China's enormous digital payments business, PayPal has clinched a license to provide digital payment services in China, following its acquisition of a majority stake in a Chinese payments company.

China's central bank has approved PayPal's (PYPL) acquisition of a 70% equity interest in GoPay, the companies announced Monday. PayPal says this makes it the first foreign firm licensed to provide digital payment services in China.
The terms of the deal, which is expected to close by the end of 2019, have not been disclosed, a PayPal spokesperson said. GoPay is a small Chinese payments provider that functions similarly to PayPal — it allows merchants to accept non-credit card payments straight from their websites.
American payment and credit card companies have for years been trying to break into the world's second largest economy, where the growing middle class means a growing market of consumers seeking lending, credit card and money transfer services. In recent years, the Chinese government has opened the door to foreign firms to start applying for licenses to launch payments networks in the country, but the approval process has been slow-going. By taking on majority ownership of GoPay, PayPal acquired access to the Chinese firm's license to provide online payment services.

"We look forward to partnering with China's financial institutions and technology platforms, providing a more comprehensive set of payment solutions to businesses and consumers, both in China and globally," PayPal CEO Dan Schulman said in a statement on LinkedIn.

The deal opens the door for PayPal to process digital transactions in China — which are estimated to total in the trillions. But it may not be an easy market to break into. Chinese digital payments services Alibaba (BABA)'s AliPay and Tencent (TCEHY)'s WeChat Pay have dominated that market, in part by making it easy for merchants to use their services and accept payments from mobile phones rather than setting up the infrastructure to accept credit card payments. As of last year, more than 8 million brick-and-mortar stores in China accepted AliPay.
The licensing requirements have made it difficult for American companies to operate in the country, while benefiting Chinese companies.
Only one other American company has successfully made inroads in the market. Last year, American Express received preliminary approval from the People's Bank of China to start building out a domestic clearance and settlement network through its joint venture with Chinese partner LianLian group.
In every other market in the world, American Express processes transactions through its own, Arizona-based network. But in China, it's had to rely on the state-controlled payments giant China Union Pay to process transactions. The preliminary approval it received last year will allow it to build out its own network to process payments on AmEx branded cards.
Mastercard and Visa have also tried to offer such services in China.
Riaz Haq said…
Number of Pakistani students studying in US increased by 5.6 percent during 2018-19.
Pakistan sent 7,957 students to USA in 2018-19, as compared to 7,537 students sent last year.

https://www.brecorder.com/2019/11/20/546027/pakistan-among-fastest-growing-markets-for-international-students-in-usa/

The numbers showed a slight increase in total international enrollment, 0.05% from the previous year, but a decrease in new international student enrollment, -0.9%.

Decreases were seen in undergraduate (-2.4%), graduate (-1.3%) and non-degree (-5.0%) trends, as well.

China sent the most students -- 369,548 -- comprising 33.7 percent of all foreign students, a 1.7 percent increase from the previous year.

India sent the second-largest number -- 202,014 -- or 18.4% of all college and university students, a 2.9% increase from the previous year.

But several other countries, in descending order of number of students sent to the U.S., showed declines: South Korea (-4.2%), Saudi Arabia (-16.5%), Canada (0.8%), Vietnam (0.3%), Taiwan (4.1%), Japan (-3.5%), Brazil (9.8%), Mexico (-1.5%), Nigeria (5.8%), Nepal (-0.3%), Iran (-5.0%), the United Kingdom (-2.7%), Turkey (-3.4%), Kuwait (-9.8%), Germany (-8.5%), France (-1.0%), Indonesia (-3.4%), Bangladesh (10%), Colombia (1.1%), Pakistan (5.6%), Venezuela (-7.3%), Malaysia (-6.8%) and Spain (-3.0%).

https://www.voanews.com/student-union/fewer-foreign-students-enrolling-us-college-and-universities
Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan is a significant exporter of international students globally. According to UNESCO statistics, the number of outbound Pakistani degree-seeking students grew by 70 percent over the last decade, from 31,156 in 2007 to 53,023 in 2017.

https://wenr.wes.org/2020/02/education-in-pakistan

Another important driver is the lack of university seats and high-quality study programs in Pakistan, particularly at the graduate level. While Pakistan has created a tremendous amount of new doctoral programs over the past decade, growing numbers of Pakistani scholars are heading abroad to access higher quality education, primarily in fields like engineering and the sciences. To modernize research in Pakistan and raise the qualifications profile of university faculty, the government supports this development with scholarship programs of considerable scale, considering Pakistan’s fiscal constraints. While most Pakistani students are said to be self-funded, overseas scholarship programs have helped thousands of graduate students to pursue studies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Germany, France, and various other countries in recent years. Scholarship recipients are often required to return home after graduation.

The traditional English-speaking international study destinations, Australia and the U.S., are currently the top choices among Pakistani degree-seeking students, as per UNESCO statistics. Data published by the Australian government show that the number of Pakistani students grew almost threefold over the past decade, from 3,512 in 2008 to 10,000 in 2019, making Pakistan one of the top 10 sending countries of tertiary students in Australia.

In the U.S., likewise, Pakistani enrollments have generally been on an upward trajectory over the past few years. According to the Open Doors data of the Institute of International Education, Pakistan sent 7,957 students to the U.S. in 2018/19, an increase of 5.6 percent over the previous year, making it the 22nd most important sending country. Around 44 percent of these students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, 35 percent in graduate programs, and 4 percent in non-degree programs, while 17 percent pursue Optional Practical Training.

Other popular destination countries include the U.K. and the Muslim-majority countries Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, the latter also being a magnet for labor migrants from Pakistan. It should be noted, however, that China has emerged as a significant destination as well. China may, in fact, now host the largest number of Pakistani international students worldwide. While UNESCO does not report data for China, and Chinese government figures are difficult to compare,[1] Pakistan is currently the third-largest sending country to China with 28,000 students, per Chinese statistics. As in neighboring India, many Pakistani students flock to China to pursue medical education—an underdeveloped and severely overburdened education sector in both India and Pakistan. Increased political and economic cooperation between Pakistan and China and Chinese scholarship funding likely play a significant role as well. Increasing numbers of Pakistani students are interested in learning Chinese.

In general, Pakistani students have increasingly diversified their international study destinations in recent years. In Canada, for instance, the number of Pakistani students has doubled over the past decade, if on a relatively small scale (4,050 students in 2019). Another notable destination country is Germany, where Pakistan is now among the top 20 sending countries after enrollments jumped by 28 percent within just one year, from 3,836 in 2017 to 4,928 in 2018—a trend likely driven, among other factors, by the availability of tuition-free, high-quality graduate programs in engineering.
Riaz Haq said…
UNESCO Global Flow of Tertiary-Level Students From Pakistan

http://uis.unesco.org/en/uis-student-flow

China 28,000 (Not included in UNESCO numbers)

Australia 11,324

United States 7,412

United Kingdom 5,594

Malaysia 4,649

Germany 4,204

Canada 2,802

Saudi Arabia 2,165

Turkey 1,822

Italy 1,339

South Korea 1,272

Kyrgyzstan 830

Sweden 806

Finland 675

Qatar 638

Bahrain 580

Cyprus 551

Hungary 469

France 410

Norway 344

New Zealand 326

Oman 300

Netherlands 289

Iran 282
Riaz Haq said…
US-Pakistan Agreement to Support 125 Pakistani PhD students | The Academia


https://academiamag.com/us-pakistan-agreement-to-support-125-pakistani-phd-students/

In a step toward expanding U.S.-Pakistan educational cooperation, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support 125 Pakistanis to pursue PhD studies in the United States, 25 per year for five years. The MoU extends an agreement that funded 125 Fulbright-HEC PhD scholarships between 2016 and 2020. Acting HEC Chairman Dr. Shaista Sohail and USEFP Executive Director Ms. Rita Akhtar signed the MoU on June 16, through which the Government of Pakistan will contribute USD 5 million per year to the Fulbright-HEC PhD Program.

Fulbright is the flagship scholarship program of the U.S. Department of State, operating in 165 countries. Since 2005, Pakistan has had the world’s largest Fulbright Program in terms of U.S. government financial contribution, with approximately 100 master’s and 25 PhD scholarships funded annually. The HEC-USEFP MoU funds an additional 25 PhDs per year, bringing the total to 50.

“This MoU provides funding for 125 exceptional Pakistanis to complete PhD programs at some of the best universities in the United States,” explained USEFP Executive Director Rita Akhtar. “It represents a spectacular contribution to the social and economic development of Pakistan as well as to mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries. Our Fulbright grantees return to Pakistan to apply new skills and knowledge in every field and sector of Pakistan’s economy.”

According to U.S. Embassy ChargĂ© d’affaires Les Viguerie, “The U.S.-Pakistan education partnership is among the best in the world, and the United States values the Pakistani students who enrich American campuses across our country.”

The Fulbright Program is a fully funded, merit-based program that provides the opportunity to conduct research and implement skills and ideas. The participants hail from different regions of Pakistan and study at leading universities in the United States.

USEFP is a bi-national commission established in 1950 by the governments of the United States and Pakistan. Since its inception, more than 9,000 Pakistanis and over 935 Americans have participated in USEFP-managed exchange programs. Its mission is to promote mutual understanding between the people of Pakistan and the people of the United States through exchange programs.
Riaz Haq said…
China-Pakistan health corridor | By Dr Muhammad Shahbaz in China

https://pakobserver.net/china-pakistan-health-corridor-by-dr-muhammad-shahbaz/


There are more than 68,000 medical students studying in China making up 13.8% of the total 492,000 of university students and Pakistani students rank No.2 with overall 28000 students studying in different fields.

Currently more than 7500 Pakistani medical students are studying here and so far more than 15,000 students have graduated from China since 2001. The majority of them have learned MBBS.

A number of them have got Masters and PhD Degrees. CPMA will play an important role to solve problems of Pakistani medical students and doctors.

In Pakistan, there are 281072 registered doctors with Pakistan Medical Commission(1 doctor for 782 people) a majority of these doctors need medical training and advanced medical equipment.

There are 32030 specialist doctors (1 specialist doctor for every 6868 people) registered with CPSP.

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics report 2019 there are 133707 beds in hospitals and dispensaries making it 1 bed for 1645 people and national health infrastructure is comprised of 1279 hospitals, 5527 BHUs, 747 Maternity & Child Health Centers, and 1400 TB centres.

China has vast healthcare facilities with 8 million health workers, including 3 million practicing doctors, 800,000 surgeons, 6 million nurses, and 27,215 hospitals.

CPMA can provide platform for doctor and medical staff exchange programs can be established to train doctors and medical staff in Pakistan. China has 102 surgical robots in 84 hospitals, plus advanced laparoscopic surgery machines.

Pakistani doctors and surgeons could learn advanced medical and surgical skills especially in the field of robotic and laparoscopic surgery.

The concept of CPMA was put forward in 2018. There has been a dire need of a platform to link Chinese and Pakistan healthcare system and to highlight the deficiencies in the medical Education system and to promote the cooperation in Medical Education, Research, Training, Exchange programs & establishing a multidisciplinary links between China and Pakistan.

Journal of China-Pakistan Medical Association is also an excellent initiative launched by CPMA to enhance medical education and research innovation and provide a platform for medical students and professional to publish their research work.

Pakistan Medical Commission, Pakistan Medical Association and College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, King Edward Medical University & University of Health Sciences can cooperate with institutes to start medical and surgical training programs.

Pakistani Ambassador to China H.E Mr. Moin ul Haque, in a message, congratulated the CPMA President and all the team of CPMA for the excellent initiative and pledged Pakistan Embassy’s support for CPMA to further strengthen the ties in healthcare field and promote China-Pakistan Friendship.

The year 2021, marks the 70th anniversary of China Pakistan diplomatic relations China Pakistan Health Corridor is vital for the prosperity and healthy cooperation.

CPMA will provide a platform for Pakistani Medical students, doctors, researchers and allied medical professionals to achieve excellence in the field and communicate internationally with Medical Institutes, Hospitals, Nursing & Paramedical , Research & Training Centres, IT, R & D, and Government Institutions.

Pakistani hospitals can be digitalized. Big Data centres can be established in top hospitals, tracking and keeping record of patients will be easy in this way. Telemedicine joint sessions can be held frequently”.

Pakistan and China medical institutions have started cooperation and a number of MoUs have been signed between the medical institutions of both the countries.
Riaz Haq said…
6th Academic Forum on China-Pakistan Scientific, Technical and Economic Cooperation held

http://en.ce.cn/Insight/202111/28/t20211128_37121821.shtml


“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Pak-China diplomatic ties and there has been a renewed focus on cooperation in the fields of higher education and science and technology. Realizing the importance of higher education, science and technology, and innovation, both countries had taken great initiatives or cooperation in these fields," Mr. Moin ul Haque, Pakistani Ambassador to China highlighted on the 6th Academic Forum on China-Pakistan Scientific, Technical and Economic Cooperation under the “Belt and Road” Initiative held on Saturday.

In 1976, Pakistan and China signed an agreement on scientific and technical cooperation and so far under this agreement, 18 protocols of bilateral scientific and technological corporations have been implemented. Now both sides are working on formulating the 19th protocol. The ambassador explained that the 19th protocol would focus on emerging technologies in the areas of smart agriculture, nanotechnology, environmental protection, energy conservation, and storage system design.

As CPEC moves to industrialization and high-quality development, China-Pakistan cooperation in the fields of higher education and science and technology assumes greater importance and will have a new dimension. The Ambassador suggested both countries intensify institutional linkages between academic and research institutions to do focus research and provide guidance to industries businessmen on engaging and emerging trends in technologies.

Mr. Xie Guoxiang, Minister Counselor, Embassy of China in Pakistan underlined that scientific, technological, and economic cooperation and exchanges are an important part of omni-directional, multi-field and in-depth exchanges and cooperation between China and Pakistan. The intergovernmental scientific and technological cooperation mechanisms including CPEC JWG on science and technology have guided the direction and gathered strength for deepening cooperation in scientific and technological innovation between the two countries.

Mr. Xie Guoxiang further maintained that "China will do its best to firmly support Pakistan to embark on a development path in line with its national conditions and firmly support Pakistan's grand vision of realizing a 'new Pakistan'."

Dr. Talat Shabbir, China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC), Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad (ISSI), and Dr. Di Yuna, Dr. Di Yuna, Executive Director of BTBU PSC, signed the memorandum of academic cooperation on behalf of both sides.

Mr. Wang Zihai, Honorary Investment Counselor of Pakistan, President of Pakistan China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, mentioned that CPEC is not only the game changer for Pakistan but also a major project to change the regional situation. Mutual benefit and win-win results can be achieved by actively attracting other SCO member states to participate in CPEC construction.

As part of the forum, BRI Youth Forum has received a total of 45 contributions from postgraduates from 24 universities/institutions. Excellent papers are selected by the evaluation experts, and 15 students are approved to give speeches at the forum.

The forum was guided by the Department of International Cooperation, China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Beijing Association for Science and Technology (BAST), Embassy of China in Pakistan, Embassy of Pakistan Beijing, and jointly organized by Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and ECO Science Foundation (ECOSF).
Riaz Haq said…
6th Academic Forum on China-Pak Scitech and Economic Cooperation held
BY ACADEMIA MAGAZINE DECEMBER 17, 2021

https://academiamag.com/6th-academic-forum-on-china-pak-scitech-and-economic-cooperation-held/

The 6th Academic Forum on China-Pakistan Scientific, Technical and Economic Cooperation under the “Belt and Road” Initiative with the theme of Inheriting China-Pakistan Friendship and Joining Hands to Create the Future was held online and offline, with more than 200 Chinese and Pakistani experts and scholars participated in it.

Department of International Cooperation, China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Beijing Association for Science and Technology (BAST), Embassy of China in Pakistan, Embassy of Pakistan Beijing, the Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU) jointly organized the forum.

“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties and there has been a renewed focus on cooperation in the fields of higher education and science and technology, Moin ul Haque, Pakistan Ambassador to China highlighted.

The BTBU organizes international forums, trainings and exchanges through two platforms of the “Belt and Road” Joint Training Center jointly established by the Pakistan Study Center of Science and Technology and Economy and the international science and technology organization in Pakistan-the ECO Science Foundation (ECOSF), CEN reported.

Dr. Talat Shabbir, China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC), Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad (ISSI), and Dr. Di Yuna, Executive Director of BTBU PSC, signed the memorandum of academic cooperation on behalf of both sides.

Dr. Shabbir emphasized that the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has promoted the exchanges and cooperation between the two peoples and improved the economic and living standards of Pakistan.

The signing of the agreement is of great significance. He looks forward to in-depth cooperation with BTBU in the future.

Dr. Di introduced the exchanges and trainings carried out by the Pakistan Study Center of Science & Technology and Economy of BTBU in the past six years, and expressed sincere gratitude to the Chinese and Pakistani partners for their continuous support.

Wang Qinglin, Vice Minister of the International Cooperation Department of the China Association for Science and Technology, noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The cooperation between the two parties in the field of science and technology has been further strengthened.

Xie Guoxiang, Minister Counselor, Embassy of China in Pakistan underlined in his speech that the Joint Committee of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor established a joint working group on science and technology last year, and this year it added a joint working group on information technology.

Besides, Pakistani scientists have also been commended by the Chinese government one after another. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro, President of ECO Science Foundation, received the 2020 Chinese Government Friendship Award.

Beijing Science and Technology International Exchange Center, China Study Centre at COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan Science and Technology Information Center, School of International Economics and Management, School of Economics, School of Foreign Languages, Office of International Exchange and Cooperation at BTBU, and representatives from Chinese and Pakistani governments, technology organizations, teacher, student, business and media agency representatives also attended the forum.

Riaz Haq said…
Why us? #India’s tired, depressed, stranded #students desperate for #China return. The #Chinese has allowed small batches of students from other #Asian countries such as #Pakistan and #SriLanka to return but Indian students remain stranded. https://sc.mp/zq7x?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=share_widget&utm_campaign=3188289 via @scmpnews


Around 20,000 Indian students are enrolled in Chinese universities, with the vast majority studying medicine due to a similar curriculum
But they have been forced to study online due to the coronavirus, and despite assurances, they face an anxious wait to find out when they can return

Shahroz Khan was in his third year at Nantong University College of Medicine when the coronavirus pandemic first struck China and he decided to fly back to India.
Over the next two and half years, for complex, senior-level courses such as surgery, orthopaedics, and ophthalmology, online demonstrations replaced hands-on, practical learning in clinical laboratories and hospitals.
“Of course we feel this loss,” said 23-year-old Khan from Delhi. “We should have been there and we should have been able to gain this knowledge physically. That feeling will be there throughout our lives.”
Khan, though, continued to pay 1,700 yuan (US$252) per month in rent, having moved to Nantong in September 2017, hoping he would be allowed to return to China to resume his practical studies and be reunited with his belongings.
The owner had to just throw our things because we lost our hope to return
Shahroz Khan
But in March, with only three months left until the end of his fifth year and the start of his final year internship, he finally gave up the flat.

“The owner had to just throw our things because we lost our hope to return,” said Khan, who is the student coordinator for Indian Students in China and also the Foreign Medical Graduates Parents’ Association.
“Each semester we thought China might call us back, but the students have become tired and depressed.”
Around 20,000 Indian students are enrolled in Chinese universities, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs in May. The vast majority are studying medicine because of the similarity in curriculums between the two countries and the affordability of Chinese medical universities, compared to private Indian institutions.

The rest of the world has opened its borders to international students again, and while China has allowed small batches of students from other Asian countries such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka to return, Indian students remain stranded

------

The financial burden of transferring to another foreign medical institute is almost the same as the financial burden of resuming studies in China again, she said.
Quarantine and flight costs could be as high as 4-5 lakh rupees (US$5,000-US$6,300), while Rachita Kurmi may also be asked by her university to pay for an additional year to allow her to catch up on clinical learning.
But despite the hurdles, students such as Rachita Kurmi and Ridhi, who still have at least three years left before they complete their degrees, continue to hope that they might be able to return soon.
“What we really want is for China to open up,” added Rachita Kurmi. “We were there for so long, it was almost like a second home.”
Riaz Haq said…
China-Pakistan Digital Corridor to enhance cooperation in IT sector: Pakistani Ambassador--China Economic Net

http://en.ce.cn/Insight/202210/21/t20221021_38186192.shtml


BEIJING, Oct 21 (China Economic Net) – Pakistan and China have agreed to launch three new corridors, including the China-Pakistan Digital Corridor that would help enhancing cooperation in different fields of I.T, said Pakistan's Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque, in an interview with China Economic Net (CEN).

Moin ul Haque told CEN that Pakistan has a rich repertoire of talent and human resources in different fields of science and technology and IT-based science and technology have become very important for Pakistan.

"We would be an important source of help for China in terms of software development. So, we are working together to set up training centres in Pakistan for developing software in different fields of IT", he stated.

He further said that the two countries recently agreed to launch three new corridors: the China-Pakistan Green Corridor, which will focus on the agricultural environment, food security, and green development, the China-Pakistan Health Corridor which will help Pakistan get efficiency in the medical field, and then the China-Pakistan Digital Corridor which will boost Pakistan's IT industry.

Ammar Jaffri Former Additional Director General FIA and Founder of Digital Pakistan said that emerging technologies have now become a lifeline for the achievement of The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) & targets.

"We are aiming to organise an international conference about artificial intelligence on 23rd March 2023 in which local and foreign enterprises would participate and we would take strategic decisions to engage the government of Pakistan, and international organisations in our mega projects", he mentioned.

He further said that AI in areas of cyber security, SDGs, and emerging technologies is a much-needed zone where Pakistan has to work with China while Pakistan has a young population advantage in the region.
Riaz Haq said…
‘Chow Yun-fat of Pakistan’: Hong Kong ethnic minority boy, 10, tipped for stardom by iconic city actor Anthony Wong after film awards win

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3217449/chow-yun-fat-pakistan-hong-kong-ethnic-minority-boy-10-tipped-stardom-iconic-city-actor-anthony-wong

Pakistan-born youngster, Sahal Zaman, was presented with Best New Performer Award by Oscar-winning actress, Michelle Yeoh
Veteran Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong says the 10-year-old has the potential to become the Chow Yun-fat of the country of his birth


Veteran Hong Kong movie star Anthony Wong Chau-sang has heaped praise on groundbreaking child actor Sahal Zaman who recently won the Best New Performer Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Zaman, 10, is the first South Asian in Hong Kong cinema history to win the accolade, doing so for his leading performance alongside Wong in the film, The Sunny Side of the Street.


To top off his success, Zaman was presented with the award by Michelle Yeoh, who had just won Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once, and is the first Asian actress to win an Oscar.
Receiving the award, Zaman said he was delighted and hoped that Hong Kong audiences would go to cinemas to support his film.

Later, in an interview, he said that he wanted to eat pizza to celebrate and would continue working hard to take on more roles.

Previously, Zaman won the Best New Performer Award from the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild.
The Sunny Side of the Street tells the story of Hassan, a young Pakistani refugee, and a taxi driver played by iconic Hong Kong actor, Wong.
When Hassan’s father is killed in a car accident, the driver who had sneaked into Hong Kong in the 1970s befriends the boy.

In 2022, Wong won Best Leading Actor at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards for his role in the film.


At the time, he brought Zaman on stage with him, where Zaman broke down in tears.

In an interview after that, Wong tipped Zaman to become “Pakistan’s Chow Yun-fat”. Chow is one of Hong Kong’s most famous actors ever.
Zaman said he planned to bring Wong on stage with him if he won at the Hong Kong Film Awards, but when he gestured to Wong as he headed to the stage Wong said: “No need to bring me. You go on stage by yourself.”
Born in Pakistan, Zaman settled in Hong Kong with his father before starting primary school.
In an interview with Hong Kong newspaper AM730, the Malaysian director of The Sunny Side of the Street, Lau Kok Rui, said that in preparation for the film, the cast went around primary schools and ethnic minority centres across the city looking for children who could speak both Cantonese and Urdu and selected 12 candidates from about 200 children.
After auditioning and acting training, the cast eventually chose Zaman.
“He has a great personality, knows how to communicate with everyone and is not afraid of adults and does not hide away. He had no stage fright when we started filming and quickly integrated into the cast,” said Lau.
Zaman is in Primary Five and lives in the Kwai Chung district of the city’s New Territories.
Riaz Haq said…
China is a top destination for Pakistani students with some 28,000 Pakistani students studying in China. China has received returning Pakistani students with a warm welcome, facilitating them to continue their studies with same zeal and enthusiasm.


https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1060100-china-top-destination-for-pakistani-students


After three years of break-off due to the pandemic, Waseem Abbas, a Pakistani student pursuing his doctoral degree in China, finally returned to Beijing together with some 20 fellow students at the beginning of April to continue study in a prominent Chinese university.

“It’s inspiring to see everything goes back to normal on a safe basis”, he said, adding, “From boarding to getting off the plane, hailing taxes and entering campus, we go on unhindered, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Wednesday. He told that there is a surge in the number of Pakistani students returning to China after the country lifted its Covid-related restrictions on inbound visitors at the beginning of this year. In the past two years, while lab research was suspended partly, his quest for knowledge did not. Together with his supervisors and classmates, he published seven papers on feed additives and one SCI-indexed paper is in the pipeline.

Moreover, by working part-time with a Chinese feed technology company that has presence in Pakistan, he paved the way for working in Beijing after graduation as he wishes. “In Pakistan, livestock production contributes over 60% of the total agricultural output value. Around 60% of our feed additives, an essential element for livestock health, are imported from China. After the floods last year, they have a significant role to play in recovering Pakistan’s poultry sector”, he said.

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